Thomas white



T. WHITE. COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED cons, I918.

RNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 17, 1919.

U ITEI) STATES COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1'7, 1919.

Application filed October 5, 1918. Serial No. 257,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Talmage, in the county of Mercer and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock, and more especially to the couplings employed between cars; and the object of the same is to produce an extremely simple automatic coupling by means of which any car may be connected by an ordinary link with another car, whatever type of coupling is employed on the latter. 7

A further object is to produce a coupling of this kind having extremely simple means for unlocking it.

These and other objects are accomplished by constructing the coupling in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of this coupling ready for entry of the link which is not shown,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 1, showing the device in dotted lines as closed or latched.

The draw bar B has a head H with a flaring mouth M much like the corresponding elements in couplings now in use. Within said head on a transverse pivot 1 is mounted a V-shaped detent comprising what might be called the pin 2 and a finger 3 behind it, both being adapted to swing upward in a slot 4 in the top of the draw head H to practically anupright position at which time the bend of the link will lie in the bend of the V-shaped detent as will be clearly understood. A dog 5 is pivoted at 6 on a pin extending across the front end of the slot 4-, and its rear end is adapted to fall by gravity in front of the pin 2 when the latter rises to the position shown in dotted lines, said rear end being prevented from falling too far by a flange 7 with which the dog is provided along its upper edge so as to overlie the slot 4. Near its rear free end this dog carries a ring or eye 8 with which is connected a chain or cord as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and upward pull thereon obviously lifts the free end of the dog and releases the pin so that the latter can swing forward and in turn release the link. For holding this dog raised I provide a latch 10 pivoted at its upper end at 11 between two standards 12 which rise from opposite sides of the slot as seen in Fig. 1, and this latch may be provided with a weight 13 so disposed as to throw the lower end of the latch normally forward. Said lower end has a forwardly projecting lip 14: beveled on its lower side as at 15 so that the tip of the dog 5 when the latter is lifted by its chain will swing the lower end or tip of the latch to the rear against the tendency of the weight 13, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2; and when the dog reaches its uppermost position, the latch will again swing forward and its lip will so support the dog. 'The lower end of the latch is also disposed in the path of the pin 2 which forms part of the detent as the arrows in Fig. 2 indicate, but the finger 3 is too short to touch the latch. With this construction when an ordinary link is pushed in through the mouth M of the draw head H, it strikes within the V-shaped detent and the latter swings on its pivot 1. The tip of the pin 2 strikes the tip of the latch, the latter is swung to the rear as shown in dotted lines, the dog falls onto the pin 2 which then stands just beneath, and eventually said pin passes beyond the free end of the dog so that the latter drops to the dotted position to hold all parts assembled. When now it is desired to uncouple it is only necessary to lift the dog by drawing upward on the eye 8 by any approved means, and when the dog is raised and held raised by the latch the pin is free to swing forward when the link is pulled out of the mouth M. The parts are of the desired proportions and materials, and details are not essential.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a car coupler, the combination with a draw head having a longitudinal slot in its top, and a V-shaped detent pivoted at its angle within said head and adapted to swing upward into the slot; of a dog pivotally mounted in said slot with its rear end adapted to drop behind the detent when raised, means for lifting the dog manually, and a latch disposed in the path of the swinging detent and normally impelled forward to engage the tip of the dog and hold the latter raised.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a draw head having a longitudinal slot in its top, and a \l-shaped detent pivoted at its angle within said head and adapted to swing upward into the slot; of a dog pivotally mounted at its front end and with its rear end adapted to drop behind the pin of the detent when raised, means for lifting the dog manually, standards rising from the draw head on opposite sides of its slot, a latch pivoted at its upper end between said standards, means for swinging its lower end forward, and alip on said lower end adaptrear end of the dog,

ed to pass under the lower face, for

said lip being beveled on its the purpose set'forth.

'In aicar coupler, the combination with a draw head having a longitudinal slot in its top, and a detent of V-shape comprising a finger and a pin, the detent being pivoted at its angle within said head and adapted to swing UiJWtlClilltO the slot; of a dog pivotally mounted at its front end in the for Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Washington, D; G.

ward end of said slot with its rear end adapted to drop behind the pin of the detent 1-.

when raised, means for lifting the dog manually; a' support rising from said draw head, a latch pivoted at its upper end in said support and hanging across the slot of the draw head, its lower end having a lip extending forward and adapted to engage under the free end of the dog when the latter is raised, this lip standing in the path of said pin, and a weight on the latcliitending to move this lip forward, for the purpose set forth.

Intestiniony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS WHITE. Witnesses Mrs. V, B; CARTER, NEIL NonroN.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 

